Herbert Lom

Herbert Lom
Herbert Charles Angelo Kuchačevič ze Schluderpacheru (11 September 1917 – 27 September 2012), known professionally as Herbert Lom, was a Czech-British actor with a career spanning over 60 years. His cool demeanour and precise, elegant elocution saw him cast as criminals or suave villains in his younger years, and professional men and nobles as he aged. Highly versatile, he also proved a skilled comic actor in The Pink Panther franchise, playing the beleaguered Chief Inspector Charles Dreyfus in seven films.
Lom’s other notable films included The Ladykillers (1955), War and Peace (1956), Spartacus (1960), El Cid (1961), Mysterious Island (also 1961), The Phantom of the Opera (1962), and The Dead Zone (1983). He also originated the role of the King of Siam in the original West End production of The King and I, and starred on the 1960s television drama The Human Jungle.
Early life and education
Lom was born in Prague to Karl Kuchačevič ze Schluderpacheru and Olga Gottlieb. His mother was of Jewish ancestry. His ancestor, Christian Schluderpacher, a burgher of Bozen, was ennobled in 1601. Lom's family were comfortable, but not grandly aristocratic. His grandfather owned property in Prague and the Bohemian Forest, with his income deriving mainly from two restaurants and a guest house. Lom's father, as a younger son, inherited little, supporting his family by variously running a printing business, a car repair shop, and trying to establish himself as an art agent. The family lived at various Prague city quarters: Žižkov before moving to Vysočany, subsequently lived at Vinohrady, then New Town, where Lom attended a famous German grammar school. He studied philosophy for some time at the German University in Prague, but ceased his studies to become an actor.
Career
Lom's film debut was in the Czech film Žena pod křížem ("A Woman Under Cross", 1937) followed by the Boží mlýny ("Mills of God", 1938). His early film appearances were mainly supporting roles, with the occasional top billing. At this time he also changed his surname to Lom ("quarry" or "breakage" in Czech) because it was the shortest he found in a local telephone directory.
Due to the occupation of Czechoslovakia by Nazi Germany, Poland and Hungary in 1938–39, Lom immigrated to Britain in 1939. He made numerous appearances in British films throughout the 1940s, usually in villainous roles, although he later appeared in comedies as well. Despite his mother's Jewish ancestry, Lom's parents survived to join him in England.
Despite Lom's accent, he managed to escape being typecast as a European heavy by securing a diverse range of casting, including as Napoleon Bonaparte in The Young Mr. Pitt (1942), and again in the King Vidor version of War and Peace (1956). He secured a seven-picture Hollywood contract after World War II, but was unable to obtain an American visa for "political reasons". In a rare starring role, Lom played twin trapeze artists in Dual Alibi (1946).
Lom starred as the King of Siam in the original London production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's musical The King and I. Opening at the Drury Lane Theatre on 8October 1953, it ran for 926 performances. He can be heard on the cast recording.
A few years later, he appeared opposite Alec Guinness and Peter Sellers in The Ladykillers (1955); and with Robert Mitchum, Jack Lemmon and Rita Hayworth in Fire Down Below (1957). He went on to more film success in the 1960s with a wide range of parts, including Spartacus (1960); El Cid (1961); Mysterious Island (also 1961), as Captain Nemo; and Hammer Films' remake of The Phantom of the Opera (1962), in which Lom had the leading role, wearing a full-face Phantom mask. "It was wonderful to play such a part," he said, "but I was disappointed with the picture... This version of the famous Gaston Leroux story dragged. The Phantom wasn't given enough to do, but at least I wasn't the villain, for a change. Michael Gough was the villain."
During this period, Lom starred in his only regular TV series, the British drama The Human Jungle (1963–64), playing a Harley Street psychiatrist for two series. He starred in another low-budget horror film, the witch-hunting story Mark of the Devil (Hexen bis aufs Blut gequält, 1970), with unusually graphic torture scenes. Cinemas reportedly handed out sick bags at screenings. Lom appeared in other horror films made in both the US and UK, including Asylum, And Now the Screaming Starts!, Murders in the Rue Morgue and The Dead Zone.
Lom was perhaps best known for his portrayal of Chief Inspector Charles Dreyfus, Inspector Clouseau's long-suffering superior, in most of Blake Edwards' Pink Panther films, beginning with the second in the series, A Shot in the Dark (1964). He also appeared in two screen versions of the Agatha Christie novel And Then There Were None—as Dr. Armstrong in the 1975 version, and as General Romensky in the 1989 version.
Lom wrote two historical novels: one on the playwright Christopher Marlowe (Enter a Spy: The Double Life of Christopher Marlowe, 1978), and the other on the French Revolution (Dr Guillotine: The Eccentric Exploits of an Early Scientist, 1992). The film rights to the latter have been purchased, but no film has yet been produced.
Personal life
Lom married Diana Scheu in 1948. They had two children before they divorced after separating between 1961 and 1976. He had a child from a relationship with Brigitta Appleby. He later married Eve Lacik; they divorced in 1990.
Lom died in his sleep at his home in Camden Town, London on 27 September 2012, at the age of 95.
Selected filmography
Žena pod křížem (1937) as Gustav, Hodan's son
Boží mlýny (1938) as Chasník
The Young Mr. Pitt (1942) as Napoleon
Secret Mission (1942) as Medical Officer
Tomorrow We Live (1943) as Kurtz
The Dark Tower (1943) as Stephen Torg
Hotel Reserve (1944) as Andre Roux
The Seventh Veil (1945) as Dr. Larsen
Night Boat to Dublin (1946) as Keitel
Appointment with Crime (1946) as Gregory Lang
Dual Alibi (1947) as Jules de Lisle / Georges de Lisle
Snowbound (1948) as Keramikos
Good-Time Girl (1948) as Max Vine
Brass Monkey (1948) as Peter Hobart
Portrait from Life (1948) as Fritz Kottler Hendlmann
The Lost People (1949) as Guest (uncredited)
Golden Salamander (1950) as Rankl
Night and the City (1950) as Kristo
State Secret (1950) as Karl Theodor
The Black Rose (1950) as Anthemus
Cage of Gold (1950) as Rahman
Hell Is Sold Out (1951) as Dominic Danges
Two on the Tiles (1951) as Ford
Mr. Denning Drives North (1952) as Mados
Whispering Smith Hits London (1952) as Roger Ford
The Ringer (1952) as Maurice Meister
The Man Who Watched Trains Go By (1952) as Julius de Koster, Jr.
The Net (1953) as Dr. Alex Leon
Rough Shoot (1953) as Sandorski
The Love Lottery (1954) as André Amico
Star of India (1954) as Vicomte de Narbonne
Beautiful Stranger (1954) as Emile Landosh
The Ladykillers (1955) as Louis
War and Peace (1956) as Napoleon
Fire Down Below (1957) as Harbour Master
Hell Drivers (1957) as Gino Rossi
Action of the Tiger (1957) as Trifon
Chase a Crooked Shadow (1958) as Police Commissar Vargas
I Accuse! (1958) as Major du Paty de Clam
Intent to Kill (1958) as Juan Menda
The Roots of Heaven (1958) as Orsini
Passport to Shame (1958) as Nick Biaggi
No Trees in the Street (1959) as Wilkie
The Big Fisherman (1959) as Herod Antipas
North West Frontier (US: Flame Over India, 1959) as Peter van Leyden
Third Man on the Mountain (1959) as Emil Saxo
I Aim at the Stars (1960) as Anton Reger
Spartacus (1960) as Tigranes Levantus (pirate envoy)
Mr. Topaze (1961) as Castel Benac
Mysterious Island (1961) as Captain Nemo
The Frightened City (1961) as Waldo Zhernikov
El Cid (1961) as Ben Yusuf
The Phantom of the Opera (1962) as The Phantom
Tiara Tahiti (1962) as Chong Sing
Treasure of the Silver Lake (1962) as Colonel Brinkley
(1963, TV film) as Schiapa
The Human Jungle (1963–1964, TV series, 26 episodes) as Dr. Roger Corder
A Shot in the Dark (1964) as Police Commissioner Charles Dreyfus
Uncle Tom's Cabin (1965) as Simon Legree
Return from the Ashes (1965) as Dr. Charles Bovard
Our Man in Marrakesh (1966) as Mr. Casimir
Gambit (1966) as Ahmad Shahbandar
The Karate Killers (1967) as Randolph
Die Nibelungen: Kriemhild's Revenge (1967) as King Etzel (Attila)
Villa Rides (1968) as General Huerta
Eve (1968) as Diego
Assignment to Kill (1968) as Matt Wilson
99 Women (1969) as Governor Santos
Doppelgänger (1969) as Dr Kurt Hassler
Mark of the Devil (1970) as Lord Cumberland
Mister Jerico (1970, TV film) as Rosso
Count Dracula (1970) as Van Helsing
Dorian Gray (1970) as Henry Wotton
Murders in the Rue Morgue (1971) as René Marot
Hawaii Five-O ("Highest Castle, Deepest Grave", 1971, TV) as Mondrago
Asylum (1972) as Dr. Byron (segment: "Mannikins of Horror")
Dark Places (1972) as Prescott
And Now the Screaming Starts! (1973) as Sir Henry Fengriffin
And Then There Were None (1974) as Dr. Edward Armstrong
The Return of the Pink Panther (1975) as Chief Inspector Charles Dreyfus
The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976) as Former Chief Inspector Charles Dreyfus
Charleston (1977) as Inspector Watkins
Revenge of the Pink Panther (1978) as Chief Inspector Charles Dreyfus
The Lady Vanishes (1979) as Dr. Hartz
The Man with Bogart's Face (1980) as Mr. Zebra
Hopscotch (1980) as Yaskov
Peter and Paul (1981) as Barnabas
Trail of the Pink Panther (1982) as Chief Inspector Charles Dreyfus
Curse of the Pink Panther (1983) as Chief Inspector Charles Dreyfus
The Dead Zone (1983) as Dr. Sam Weizak
Lace (1984, TV miniseries) as Monsieur Chardin
Memed, My Hawk (1984) as Ali Safa Bey
King Solomon's Mines (1985) as Colonel Bockner
Scoop (TV film, 1987) as Mr. Baldwin
Master of Dragonard Hill (1987) as Le Farge
Going Bananas (1987) as Captain Mackintosh
Skeleton Coast (1988) as Elia
Whoops Apocalypse (1988) as General Mosquera
River of Death (1989) as Colonel Ricardo Diaz
Masque of the Red Death (1989) as Ludwig
Ten Little Indians (1989) as General Romensky
The Devil's Daughter (1991) as Moebius Kelly
The Pope Must Die (US: The Pope Must Diet!, 1991) as Vittorio Corelli
Son of the Pink Panther (1993) as Police Commissioner Charles Dreyfus
Agatha Christie's Marple, episode "Murder at the Vicarage" (2002), as Augustin Dufosse (final role)
Voice work
"Nemesis" (2007) in Agatha Christie's Marple series, as Jason Rafiel (voice, uncredited)
References
External links
"Herbert Lom: The Odd Fellow"
Photographs and Literature related to Lom
1917 births
2012 deaths
20th-century British male writers
20th-century British novelists
British male comedy actors
British male film actors
British male novelists
British male television actors
British male writers
British people of Czech-Jewish descent
Czech emigrants to the United Kingdom
Czech male film actors
Czech male television actors
Czech male writers
Czech novelists
Czech people of Jewish descent
Czechoslovak emigrants to the United Kingdom
Male actors from Prague
Naturalised citizens of the United Kingdom